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In today’s society, individuals care more about likes on their social media pages, than things that hold more value and substance.

In the United States, 77 percent of the surveyed population uses social media. The year before it was recorded at 80 percent of the population. This is not a significant drop. The amount of users may go up and down, but there will never be a dramatic decrease. Social media has become the norm for most people. But, what individuals seem to overlook are the effects social media has on society.

Society is so wrapped up in likes, comments and reposts, that they are sucked into an artificial world. The long term effects that social media holds on individuals are more than damaging. It affects self-esteem, mental health, body image and self-love.

Individuals who spend more than half an hour on social media are more likely to report poor mental health, including anxiety and depression.

As college students, we face so many issues, daily. Whether we are battling waking up for class, or trying to figure out who we are as a person. One in four students have a diagnosable illness. These illnesses fall within anxiety, depression, addiction, suicide and eating disorders.

Now, social media can play a part in the mental illnesses that people are already dealing with. People want to fit in, want to have the most likes, or reposts. What is shown on social media in regards to what the perfect girl looks like, or what it means to be living your “best life,” can make individuals who don’t meet social media expectations feel crappy about themselves and their lives.

The value of social media has to decrease.

There has been so many incidents of young people committing suicide or dealing with body image issues because of what is portrayed on social media. The link between suicide and social media is alarming. Cyberbullying has been one main causes of suicide in teens. Social media is now having an effect on adolescent mental health. If a solution is not created, we will continue to see a rise in suicide rates.

Holding workshops on self-love and self-care can diminish the pedestal we hold social media up to, because likes do not matter, nor does trying to impress individuals you barely even know.